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Monday, September 24, 2012

Super Techy

by sucelloleiloes

The new school I am at is about to roll out several iPad carts. It is all very glamorous and exciting. However, before we unleash them onto the greater community we need to think through how to set them up, how students will use them, and what safety features to lock down etc... We also wanted to come up with applications that would be useful on all of the devices regardless of grade. What follows is my recommended list for deployment. By the way, all of these apps are free. I've an inherited weakness for freebies.

Core Apps for All Ages

Socrative Student Turns the iPad and any mobile device into a sophisticated student response system. Teachers set up free accounts and have a variety of free assessment tools. Edmodo Edmodo is both a free app and online, safe social networking tool for schools. It also works as an easy to use learning management system for teachers. They can post assignments and resources for students to access anywhere. Teachers can create and monitor discussion threads. Universal Scanner This is a QR Code scanner and generator. When QR Codes are scanned the appropriate iOS action is taken. The generator creates QR Codes for all sorts of things including URL’s and contacts. FreeiBooks Author This allows students of all ages create and publish their own books that look awesome. There are several templates and accessibility features built in. There is a quickly growing base of excellent lesson plans being shared on the Internet for integration at all grade levels. FreePopplet Lite This is the free version of Popplet which is a mind mapping app. It allows you to include pictures. It is user friendly and very colorful. You get three free maps per account with the lite version. For 4.99 you can get the pro version and create unlimited maps. This is one tool I feel is worth the money if you find you use it often. iBrainstorm This free brainstorming Apps allows up to four users at once to collaborate together on a Mind Map with sticky notes and free form drawing. You can assign colors and drag and drop notes to organize. When you are finished, upload to e-mail or flickr.Voice ThreadThis is a cross platform app that started as a Web 2.0 application. The Slides created allow for students to comment on slides/pictures/ videos in a variety of ways, with text, audio and video. FreeDragon Dictation This is the best speech to text application going and it is free. This is outstanding for students with special needs but is also valuable in the Early Grades for Language Experience Approach. The free version allows for up to 30 Seconds of speech to be translated into text. FreeHaiku Deck This is the best free presentation maker app out there. It may even be the best amongst the paid apps too. The templates they offer are stunning and it is easy to use. FreeSkitch This is like an Interactive White Board on the iPad. It allows students to record their thinking process and share it. They can upload photos and drawings and make annotations on them. It is a fantastic app for creating tutorials. FreePuppet Pals HDPuppet Pals allows students to create animated puppet shows with their voice. It is an excellent digital storytellng app that is easy to use so that even very young students can create their own storylines. They can play them back and share after completion FreePic Collage Allows you to make easy, professional collages from photos. FreeToontasticgives students the ability to draw and animate their own cartoons. The interface is easy to use and intuitive. Students can share their work easily upon completion. Another excellent Digital StoryTelling Device. FreeGoogle EarthGo anywhere on Earth FreeQuizlet This is a flashcard app with many sets in all study areas already made. It is cross platform so students can access flashcards from any device. FreeBrainscape This is the flashcard App that Elizabeth Helfant recommended. It has most of the same features as Quizlet. FreeDictionary Dot Com This is a free dictionary and thesaurus in one.Show MeGreat screencasting app that allows teachers or students to quickly record their voice along with their annotations on the whiteboard or a photo that they can import. ShowMe requires the creation of accounts and screencasts can be shared via a link and are also embeddable on websites. Recording is limited to one page. FreeEducreationsIt’s Your Personal Recordable Whiteboard. Educreations transforms your iPad into a recordable whiteboard that captures your voice and handwriting to produce amazing video lessons that you can share online. It’s as simple as touching, tapping and talking. FreeBoard cam Standard transforms your iPad in to an enhanced document camera or a whiteboard. Perform live dynamic presentations of objects, draw on a whiteboard or over video streaming without changing of application. Also has the ability to record during live demonstrations and create videos. FreeRover This is a Browser designed for Education and it enables you to access Flash Apps on the iPad. FreeScribble Press This allows students to create their own storybooks with drawing and writing tools. When the book is complete you can instantly upload it to your iBooks accounts. FreeRemember the Milk an on the go To Do List, assignment tracker, and personal organizer. It is cross platform and allows for web syncing so that students can add assignments on the iPad at school and track them via their home computer and cell phone. It can be programed to send reminders via sms or e-mail or both. FreeSymbalooEDU Displays and makes accessible Symbaloo pages on the iPad FreeGeoboardit is a virtual Geoboard FreeVirtual Manipulativeshelps learners construct meaning of fractions and its relationships between decimals and percents FreeGrades K-5ScootPad This is a free online service where teachers can manage their classes, assign homework, and track progress. The students practice math and literacy skills in fun engaging ways. 25 in 1 HD Games These are educational games including math, spelling, and memory building games. StoryPanda Students can write and create their own Childrens books by dragging and dropping illustrations onto the page and adding their own text. Primary AppsABC Magic ReadingBlending and segmenting in a fun game format FreeABC Spelling Magic Blending and Segmenting three letter words FreeABC Spelling Magic 2 Blending Segmenting consonant blends FreeFun Rhyming A fun game for young children to learn and practice phonics by finding pairs of matching words. FreeHungry Fishallows learners to practice mental math strategies for addition and subtraction with an element of choice that allows for different entry points and strategies FreeKinder Math allows students to develop and practice early math skills such as sort and classify, counting on, comparing amounts, and some principles of counting FreeMotion Math Wingshelps children ages 4 and up develop a conceptual understanding of mental multiplication strategies using six different visual forms FreeNumber Rackallows learners to practice mental math strategies for addition and subtraction with an element of choice that allows for different entry points and strategies. FreePhonics Awareness - segmenting, blending, vowels Phonics Awareness, 1st Grade Reading, is a fun way for your child to learn core phonics. FreeUpper Elementary and Middle School

Evernote This is a cross platform note taking app. Students can record notes, sound, take pictures, collect bookmarks of websites with notes, annotations, and citations which they can access from any device connected to the Internet. Free.Geometry Padallows you to create fundamental geometric shapes, explore and change their properties and calculate metrics of the shapes. The shapes are displayed on a scrollable and zoomable workbook with a rectangular coordinate system. FreeNASAexplore the universe in the palm of your handTEDIdeas Worth Sharing, Riveting Talks By Remarkable People FreeQuick Grapha high powered multi-touch graphing calculator FreeFree GraCalc Another graphic Calculator that works well with equations FreeSketchPad Explorer allows students to drag, manipulate and animate visual mathematics to develop and generalize understanding of fundamental concepts across elementary math, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and beyond. FreePeriodic Table of Elementsincludes all pertinent information needed when studying the periodic table of elements in a visual format. FreeEasyBib Creates accurate citations in all major formats easily, provides credible research sources Free